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3w ago

Poll Finds Just 12% Found Sydney Sweeney Ad Offensive; Retail and Youth Data Reveal Backlash

Retail sensors recorded an almost 9% year-over-year slump in American Eagle store visits early in August, indicating potential commercial fallout.

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Sydney Sweeney's ad sparked backlash, with some critics accusing it of promoting eugenic ideas due to the play on the words “jeans” and “genes.”
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Overview

  • An Economist/YouGov survey conducted Aug. 9–11 among 1,635 U.S. adults found just 12% of respondents called the 'Sydney Sweeney Has Great Jeans' ad offensive, while 39% labeled it clever and 40% were neutral.
  • The poll revealed partisan and gender divides, with 18% of Democrats versus 7% of Republicans finding the ad offensive and women more likely than men to view it negatively.
  • Pass_by data showed American Eagle store foot traffic fell 8.96% year-over-year during the week of Aug. 3, suggesting consumer hesitation following the campaign’s rollout.
  • A Generation Lab poll of about 1,289 college and graduate students Aug. 7–11 found 64% of Democrats and 63% of young women describing the ad as out of touch, with 39% of women reporting reduced likelihood of buying AE jeans.
  • American Eagle has defended the pun-based campaign as solely focused on denim, pledged proceeds from a limited 'Sydney Jean' release to Crisis Text Line and has received public praise from President Trump, while Sydney Sweeney has not commented.